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LDBennett · 10-19-2012, 06:13 PM

R.Smith:

I just reviewed the AGI video for the Savage 99 as it had been over 15 years since I took mine apart. As an aside mine suffered poor storage and the whole of the inside was covered in a light surface rust (only on the inside of the gun) which was easily removed with no damage to anything (you can not detect there was ever surface rust in there) but I did have to take it completely down to clean the rust out. At that time I used a assembly/dis-assembly book. The AGI video might be a better path today.

Anyway.... The takedown video is very complete and well done. Based on it I think the feeding problem can be solved by first thoroughly cleaning the gun's internals. You can try spray solvents and compressed air but if that fails you may have to tension the magazine spring.

The magazine is a spool fitted inside the receiver. There is a circular recess just below the barrel in the receiver. There is a sheet metal plate at the magazine's front that can be seen by removal of the front hand guard. In the center is a bolt and nut that hold the spool together. The nut is staked to the bolt. So you have the spool (usually brass) and the plate, both tied together with a spring. Turning the plate in reference to the spool increases or decreases the spool tension. That tensioning is done with a flat bladed screwdriver that has its center portion ground away so that the the blade bridges the bolt and engages slots in the nut. The tensioning is done with the whole spool assembly(plate and spring included ) in the receiver. The whole of the plate turns as you tension the spool spring.

The plate only has to be turned to increase the tension. The sheet metal plate is retained to the receiver by a long bolt through the side of the receiver that engages slots on the edge of the plate. So in theory you should be able to pull the front hand guard off, remove the plate retaining bolt, turn the plate counter clockwise to add tension and re-install the retaining bolt. But.....

These guns are old and few have ever been apart. The plate may be stuck hard enough in the receiver that the tool may not be able to turn the plate in the receiver. It is certainly worth a try. If you fail this way then complete disassembly will be required to remove the spool assembly to free it.

You know when you have enough tension when you push the mag follower with your finger and it returns all the way up to its stop ("0" should fully revealed in the cartridge counter window).

Don't take the spool with its plate and spring apart unless the spring or spool or plate is broken and it have to be replaced. Yes, the spool is spring loaded but only when it is in the receiver and the tension is added by the adjustment.

Hope this helps.

LDBennett

10-19-2012, 06:13 PM	#13
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,754	Re: Savage 99 Feeding problem R.Smith: I just reviewed the AGI video for the Savage 99 as it had been over 15 years since I took mine apart. As an aside mine suffered poor storage and the whole of the inside was covered in a light surface rust (only on the inside of the gun) which was easily removed with no damage to anything (you can not detect there was ever surface rust in there) but I did have to take it completely down to clean the rust out. At that time I used a assembly/dis-assembly book. The AGI video might be a better path today. Anyway.... The takedown video is very complete and well done. Based on it I think the feeding problem can be solved by first thoroughly cleaning the gun's internals. You can try spray solvents and compressed air but if that fails you may have to tension the magazine spring. The magazine is a spool fitted inside the receiver. There is a circular recess just below the barrel in the receiver. There is a sheet metal plate at the magazine's front that can be seen by removal of the front hand guard. In the center is a bolt and nut that hold the spool together. The nut is staked to the bolt. So you have the spool (usually brass) and the plate, both tied together with a spring. Turning the plate in reference to the spool increases or decreases the spool tension. That tensioning is done with a flat bladed screwdriver that has its center portion ground away so that the the blade bridges the bolt and engages slots in the nut. The tensioning is done with the whole spool assembly(plate and spring included ) in the receiver. The whole of the plate turns as you tension the spool spring. The plate only has to be turned to increase the tension. The sheet metal plate is retained to the receiver by a long bolt through the side of the receiver that engages slots on the edge of the plate. So in theory you should be able to pull the front hand guard off, remove the plate retaining bolt, turn the plate counter clockwise to add tension and re-install the retaining bolt. But..... These guns are old and few have ever been apart. The plate may be stuck hard enough in the receiver that the tool may not be able to turn the plate in the receiver. It is certainly worth a try. If you fail this way then complete disassembly will be required to remove the spool assembly to free it. You know when you have enough tension when you push the mag follower with your finger and it returns all the way up to its stop ("0" should fully revealed in the cartridge counter window). Don't take the spool with its plate and spring apart unless the spring or spool or plate is broken and it have to be replaced. Yes, the spool is spring loaded but only when it is in the receiver and the tension is added by the adjustment. Hope this helps. LDBennett Last edited by LDBennett; 10-19-2012 at 06:18 PM..